Please note that this is a new location. No longer in University Center, they can now be found in the Metro Mall, on Benson, across from Sears, same mall as Cafe Amsterdam and Great Harvest Bread Co. BEER TO GO: They, also, have a growler bar on site. They sell 32 and 64 oz. growlers. 16 Taps rotate often.

Great service and great selection. Every beer that is distributed to Alaska is available at this store. They do a good job of putting on a good mix of beers on the growler bar. The only store in Alaska that I know of doing a mix a six pack. Top notch place

While living in Alaska from '05 to '11 I was a regular at this establishment. A weekly visit was never a bust as I was always able to find new and/or rare finds. A great selection of both craft beer and quality wines. The store is very small but takes advantage of every square inch. The rotation is second to none and rivals some of the best beer stores that I have visited. I feel that the selection even rivals that of the famous beer store in Asheville, NC. The service is the only exception. This depends greatly on who is working the counter. There are some employees who would rather you leave and let them get back to texting there bff. The two ladies, however, are very knowledgeable and friendly. They constantly go out of there way to help in any way they can. If you are in Alaska for any reason please stop by and browse the great beers. Please try Midnight Sun or Anchorage Brewing. You won't be sorry.

One of the best stores I've ever been to! It's a small place but they have a great selection. The staff is very knowledgable and always willing to help. One of the best things about La Bodega is the mix and match six pack option. All of the beers are individually priced so you don't have to buy a whole six pack. It's great for trying new beers. Their local brew selection is second to none and they get a lot of specialty imports. They also have a beer of the month club which is outstanding. My wife just signed me up for Christmas and I've had two shipments so far. Four beers each month for $25. Not a bad deal at all. Most of the beers are rare or uncommon beers for our area. Great way to try something new. Overall, La Bodega is a great store. Visit them ASAP!

My first visit to a beer store in Anchorage after arriving from Norway. I had read all about this place before arriving, so I was eager to try it. Visit took place on 12 August, same day this review is being written.

The store is located in an older mall that is undergoing renovations. There is easy access to the store with an entrance both outside and inside the mall. The store itself is rather small, but they make maximum use of the space--not an inch goes to waste as it is packed to the brim with beer, wine, and some other spirits. The lighting is rather subdued, but that is a good thing so that the bottles out on shelves are not getting overly exposed.

They have several coolers with bottles, shelves that are filled to the brim, and some floor displays. They feature a mix-your-own six pack. They also have a few beers which have been aged for those wanting to try a classic with a little time on it, such as Alaskan Smoked Porter.

One enjoyable aspect of the small store size and the fact that it is crammed with beer is the experience of searching through all the shelves to see what you might be missing. You can almost always uncover something interesting.

The quality and selection were excellent. The quality of the selection--only the cream of the crop that can be procured in Alaska is available here. From local craft brewers to craft brewers elsewhere in the US and all kinds of quality imports -- Belgians and English beers it particular -- no effort is spared to bring you the "good stuff." The selection, while somewhat constrained due to space, is still quite good. I found a great selection of Alaskan breweries, such as Midnight Sun, Kassik's, Alaskan Brewing, etc. Other craft breweries represented included Stone, Rogue, Avery, Sierra Nevada, Shipyard, Lagunitas, Widmer, Boston Beer, Deschutes, and the list goes on.

The service was excellent as well. There was only one employee in the store at the time, but this woman made me feel very welcome and made sure I had all the help I needed. Very friendly. She commented on some of the beers I selected, asked about Norwegian beers, and pointed out an upcoming beer event in Anchorage. She also pointed me in the direction of where to buy some good glassware.

I suppose the beer in Alaska is probably a bit more costly than in the lower 48, but after coming from Norway, it seemed like they were having a fire sale!

The best bottle shop in Alaska. Very grateful for La Bodega coming to town and the 10% discount given to card carrying homebrewers in the GNBC.

This place has opened up my eyes to countless beers and styles I'd never seen before because they weren't available in Alaska.

One of the girls who works there is a member of the homebrew club and very knowledgeable about different styles. She is great when asking about all the beers available there.

My only hope is that they expand someday. They don't have some of the east coast stuff, that I currently have to trade for, but, I don't know where they'd put it if they got it. There shelves are packed with so much variety.

Also appreciate the single bottle options/12 oz options as opposed to the bombers you have to buy everywhere else in town.

In the middlest part of midtown, at the university center mall. the Bodega is a nice little, along the lines of hole in the wall, BEER store. They do sell some upscale wine and better quality liquors (as in none of the $10 a fifth stuff), but this place is the store for beer connisures. the selection is really good, often with stuff you can't find anywhere else in alaska, and the build your own 6-pack is a really cool option as well, being that you can go and bring home a little tasting session, with out committing to a whole 6er of stuff, and therefore not thinning out your wallet too badly. the owner Pam, is also a very active member of the anchorage beer geek scene, she judges at various contests, and is rather passionate about her beer, and it shows in how the place is run. the service you get is awesome most of the time, and it's easy to get stuck in there talking beer for a good while. overall a topnotch beer store.

This is a great little craft beer and wine nook in midtown Anchorage. Owner Pamela has assembled a very friendly and informed staff (shout out to Teagan!) that goes out of their way to help you with your beer and wine needs. Good selection of local and stateside/world beers that might not normally be findable here in the frigid north. Also, they have a wonderful wine wall with some great finds there. Mead as well, both from local meadmakers and outsiders as well. Don't miss this place in your beer travels around Alaska, nothing else like it on the local level.

Wow! What can't I say about this store? Everyone here is very friendly and helpful. Teagan, and Fish are great sales people. Pamela, the owner, is great because she makes it a point to get to know her customers. La Bodega has the best selection in Anchorage and you can mix-n-match 6-packs! What other store in Anchorage do you know of that you can take beers out of a pack and make your own? NONE! This palce is awesome. They have a Beer of the Month Club! This is the #1 go-to beer store in Anchorage.

Located in a corner of the University Center shopping mall, there was a door onto the parking lot, but the main door was inside the mall. The main door was left facing with the counter to the immediate right, entering. The left wall was a series of shelves filled first with liquor, then with wine. Not my bag. The centerline had more shelves, the bottom tiers for wine overflow, but the top shelves were room temperature beers. The right wall, just past the parking lot door, began with a three-door cooler dedicated to Belgium imports. Continuing aft, a small two-door cooler for ciders and overflow beers was next, followed by a six-door bank of coolers with mostly 12 ounce bottles for "mix and match your own six-pack". Another six-door bank of coolers ran along the back wall, but it was in there that the bulk of bombers resided. Prices $$, plus AHA discount.

Background Time: As a frequently flitting Beer Fly, I generally disdain reviewing Beer Stores as I rarely buy bottled beer any more, plus such reviews are the equivalent of cheating to me, in my twisted mind. The great irony here was that the first place that I visited in the last of my fifty states was a Beer Store. I am an avid C/Ser and my hostess was a salesperson here. Jessie may have departed for Nawlins by the time that this is transcribed, but she definitely knew her stuff and I have no doubt that the rest of the staff was equally knowledgeable. Worth a visit.

La Bodega is a top-notch establishment. The knowledgeable staff is courteous and extremely friendly. The selection is mostly beer oriented, but there is wine, mead, and some liquor available as well. Local products are featured, but rare selections from around the US and the world cover the shelves. The prices are extremely reasonable, especially considering the cost of goods in Alaska. I have never been disappointed in the store and typically leave with a giant box full of beer (and a slightly lighter wallet).

La Bodega is an excellent source of the highest quality ales available hands down. The staff knows their entire stock intimately and they are quick to help you find the beer you are craving. Excellent selection of Belgian and Rare beers as well as dedicated to the local brewers. The price may seem high for some of the beers but they are very rare and hard to find so i feel its worth it as well as i know the stock is fresh because the place is so small they can't have more than is on the shelves. La Bodega is the only place i go when i get a craving for sour beers, or i just want to see what new beers are on the market.

La Bodega is a quaint little beer store with very personable and well-educated staff. They do not have any budmilloors so if that is what your looking for dont go here. i think that is one of the stores most admirable qualities. The best selection of world beers around and wine for the wife. The prices are a bit steep but they are one of the few stores that will let you build your own sixer out of the micros. Best selection of belgian seasonals in town. A must hit if you like world beers. Best lambic selection in anchorage hands down.

La Bodega is a great spot to get adventurous with plenty of beer choices and an excellent "build your own six pack" policy. The ability to buy single bottles is also a plus. It gives the customer the ability to take new beers for a test drive without ending up with five lemons in the fridge if they do not like it. The store also seems to acquire limited release and obscure brands that are hard to find in Anchorage. Prices are a bit higher per bottle, but this is probably the result of the smaller volume and specialization the store is striving for.

While it is not a full service liquor store, it is a good alternative to Brown Jug and worth a side trip.

Location: easy, Midtown, within a block or two of both Moose's Tooth and Brown Jug Warehouse. It's in a dead mall next door to a health food stroe; plenty of parking.

Quality: well, it's almost all top-notch, with some of the best choices available anywhere in Alaska, including some fun Alaska stuff available nowhere else that I've seen besides the Brown Jug Warehouse (which is right down the road.) Like others, I have serious concerns about how much of the product is warm on shelves and under harsh lighting. But I've yet to have a badly skunked beer from them. (I've had a few that were a bit stale, but nothing that couldn'[t be a part of the long distribution network long before La Bodega ever got their hands on it.)

Selection: small but very, very solid, including the usual (for Anchorage) Stone, Rogue, Avery, Alaskan, lots of Belgians, lambics (including a nice, decently priced selection of Cantillon, e.g. Iris 2005 for $15). Also some local meads, including Ring of Fire from Homer. Some stuff I haven't seen at Brown Jug (or many places in the Lower 48) like Avery 14 still on the (warm...) shelf at $5.75.

Service has been friendly and pleasant and helpful each time I've been in. The service beats the HELL out of Brown Jug, and while the selection, cold and otherwise, often isn't that of Brown Jug Warehouse, it's just a much more pleasant place to go. And you get the warm fuzzy feeling of patronizing a local, independent business.

Prices are pretty standard for Anchorage: they could be better, they could be a hell of a lot worse. Usually within a quarter or fifty cents, either way, of Brown Jug, Oaken Keg, and Gold Rush.

Well worth it if you're nearby, or at Moose's Tooth and thinking of ordering another pint, but tired the screeching child at the next booth over throwing pizza onto the floor.

This is the best beer store in Alaska that I have found. If anyone knows of a store (not bar or restaurant) with a better selection in Alaska, please let me know. Whenever I am in Anchorage I make a point to visit Yukon Spirits and stock up. They get lots of seasonals and have well over 400 different beers. Also, the staff has always been willing to share what's new and good and are generally well informed. While the prices could be better it's well worth stopping by if you want something special or in particular.

I am ever surprised when I visit Yukon Spirits in University Center. There is always something new to try. Besides an excellent selection of local beers, they carry quite a few other craft beers from the lower 48 and Canada; Stone, Avery, Rogue, Unibroue, at one time DFH (but I don't think anyone carries that in AK anymore), etc. These, for the most part, are all stored in the coolers. They also have a fine selection of ciders and meads. Their Belgian and German beer stock is usually quite amazing for Alaska.
My only complaint/concern is that they have very limited cooler space and most of the Belgians and German beers are stored on the shelves, in the harsh flourescent lights, not to mention that I've been in the store during the summer and the temperature in there was damn near if not hotter than it was outside.
Considering that I don't know how fast the beers on the shelves move, it makes me wonder how fresh it is.
Yes, you can mix and match 6-packs, or just buy singles if you only want to try one of something. But the cost is generally a bit higher for this convenience and I'm not always sure that I want to spend $$ on a beer that hasn't been well cared for. The risk outweighs the benefit for me.

The service, though, is friendly and helpful as well as knowledgable.

Edit January 30, 2007 - Since last reviewing this establishment it has changed owners and is now called LaBodega. Pam, the new owner, is carrying on the excellent selection of craft brews and pushing for more. I am still miffed by the amount of beer that sits out on shelves under harsh lights day in and day out though.